Finally, an ‘umbrella drone’ that hovers above your head

If holding a parasol or umbrella has always felt like too much trouble, then this contraption from Japan looks to be just the ticket.

At first glance, it looks like a drone with a parasol/umbrella attached. Actually, it looks like that with subsequent glances too, because that’s exactly what it is.

Put to one side, if you can, any negative thoughts about the ear-splitting racket it’ll make above your head as you go about your day, and marvel instead at all of the incredible things you’ll be able to do with two free hands instead of the usual one.

Like applauding amazing happenings, fiddling with your massive smartphone display, performing fascinating TED Talks (outdoors in sunny or rainy conditions, obviously) using both hands to emphasize interesting points, or counting the number of dollars you wasted on this daft device (you’ll definitely need more than five fingers for that).

If you’re thinking that having fast-spinning rotors just inches from your head may put you at risk of an impromptu haircut (or worse), then rest assured, the final design will include caged blades.

Speaking of final designs, the company that came up with the drone — Asahi Power Service — has released another video (above) showing the motor and rotors in a more elevated position, a little further away from the brave person standing beneath it. It also looks more like a traditional umbrella, with a handle, suggesting it would only be activated in short bursts when you need both hands to perform a particular task, such as taking a golf shot.

Indeed, with strict regulations still preventing widespread use of drones in urban areas, Asahi Power Service says it wants to begin by aiming its marketing efforts toward golf players who can use it while they take their shots.

According to SoraNews, the company plans to start selling its umbrella/drone combo for the princely sum of 30,000 yen (about $275), starting next year.

Drones are turning out to be amazing for a lot of things. This isn’t one of them. For those who want to keep both hands free as they shield themselves from extreme weather, we suggest a far more sensible option: The umbrella hat.

The rains have come and they have no mercy. Can your current umbrella handle everything nature can throw at it? Here are 10 of the best windproof umbrella deals available now to help keep you safe and dry.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe has two distinct Mario experiences in one package. In this guide, we'll show you how to find all of the secret exits in New Super Mario Bros. U, that lead to hidden levels and let you skip worlds.

With the eighth and final season looming, Game of Thrones fever has officially become a pandemic. Our list of all the relevant news and rumors will help make the wait more bearable, if you don't mind spoilers.

The length of Saturn's day has always been a challenge to calculate because of the planet's non-solid surface and magnetic field. But now scientists have tracked vibrations in the rings to pin down a final answer.

Tiny robots modeled after bacteria could be used to deliver drugs to hard to reach areas of the human body. Scientists have developed elastic microbots that can change their shape depending on their environment.

The number of asteroids pummeling Earth jumped dramatically around 290 million years ago. By looking at Moon craters, scientists discovered that d the number of asteroid impacts on both Earth and the Moon increased by two to three times.

Saturn's rings are younger than previously believed, according to new data gathered from the Cassini mission. The rings are certainly less than 100 million years old and perhaps as young as 10 million years old.

Scientists from Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have developed a system which can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen by dissolving carbon dioxide in an aqueous solution.

Our Sun will gradually fade before expanding into a red giant at the end of its life. But larger mass stars undergo extreme explosive events called hypernovas when they die which outshine their entire galaxies.

Airbus says advancements in artificial intelligence can help it toward its goal of building a plane capable of fully autonomous flight, though whether passengers can be persuaded to travel in one is another matter entirely.

Amazon workers at its fulfillment centers are using "tech vests" to help protect them from collisions with their robot co-workers. The robots already have obstacle avoidance sensors, but the belt offers another layer of safety.

3D printer prices have dropped dramatically over the past few years, but just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s worth buying. Here, we’ve rounded up all the cheap 3D printers that are actually worth spending your money on.